Month: October 2020

Turkmenistan

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Interesting information on LW 279 kHz Watan Radio:
The transmitter in Turkmenistan is working, but modulation (sound),
judging by the posts on the forums, is very rare (or very quiet).
Personally, in two years I heard modulation only three times, and then
more than a year ago.
Judging by the sound quality, somewhere in the sound channel there is
a device like a noise suppressor, whose settings have drifted away over time, and it began to completely crush not only the noise, but also the useful signal. Why the workers of the radio station for several years have not been able to find a fault and have wasted heating the air is a mystery.
The transmitter most often turns on at about 2 am UTC (5 am Kyiv time), then turns off during the day. The work schedule is irregular, but a 4-day period can be traced. It seems that the duty shifts work in a “day after three” mode, and each has its own work schedule, which is also unstable. One of the shifts often leaves the transmitter on overnight. Today is just such a night, the next – from 16 to 17 October.
https://forum.ukrtvr.org/index.php?topic=678.msg140754#msg140754
I don’t know how true this is, but it may well be. I wonder why they won’t eliminate it? If there really is a squelch, then adjust, replace or remove it altogether.
Nikolaev Gvozdenis, Ukraine
http://www.radioscanner.ru/forum/topic30247-413.html in RUS-DX via WOR groups.io (2020-10-18)

Unid

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I’m located on the remote islands of Haida Gwaii off of the north-west coast of British Columbia, Canada.  Last night, I heard a presumed Europirate on 1655 kHz signing off just after 02:00 UTC.
Although tuning in at just before 02:00, I did have 4 minutes at 01:28 as well. 
Here’s what was heard:  Went back to the Perseus WAV files.  01:30:  House of the Rising Sun (The Animals)  01:58:  One of These Days (Pink Floyd). Celeste (Remix By Sash) (Leo Rojas) at 02:00.  Carrier cut at 02:00:23.
An Unid for me, but I’m suspecting a Europirate!     
73,  Walt Salmaniw (2020-10-18)

Italy

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Visiting your website, I see that there are test of Radio Milano on 927 kHz.
Today, 18/10/2020 from 0850UTC to 1234UTC (now) there is non-stop music
and short announce in German about a test transmission.
Sinpo 45444 in Como, North of Italy, with a Degen DE1103 and its ferrite antenna.
Davide Tambuchi – ham radio call IW2NZR (2020-10-18)

United States

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A reminder that another WNJC 1360 NJ DX test is supposed to be underway now, not last night as mis-publicized originally and on WOR. 05-06 DX test sounds and IDs, 06-10 music programming.

From previous post:
“At 0500 UTC I will be switching to our daytime pattern at 5kw using 4 towers directional to SSE with the DX audio test concluding at 0600 UTC. From 0600 – 1000 UTC I will be leaving the transmitter in daytime mode but be playing our normal playlist of 80s – 2010 pop, rock, dance, country and whatever else I grew up listening to and feel like playing. Listen for the sweepers between songs of movie & tv show clips along with our voice-over guy.”
Glenn Hauser to WOR groups.io (2020-10-18)

United States

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I am thinking / planning on launching a “World DX Day” in 2021. The idea behind this would be to have a single day where all DXer’s are encouraged to get out and about and undertake some DXing. I am thinking a website for this and having an area where logs / photos can be uploaded, ideally I would like to make this an annual event.
– Has anybody tried this in the past?
– Is it a good idea?
– Would people participate? 
To keep all the discussion in one place, I have created a group for this: https://groups.io/g/WorldDXDay
Paul Blundell to WOR groups.io (2020-10-16)

United States

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The Federal Communications Commission will vote this month on whether to allow AM stations in the United States to convert to all-digital HD Radio if they wish to do so.
Commission watchers have expected some action this year. Commissioner Ajit Pai announced the planned vote on his blog, calling AM revitalization “a passion of mine.”
Based on anecdotal evidence, the commission will likely approve it.
The details of the proposed report and order are expected to be public shortly. Among questions to watch for are whether all-digital AM operation would be allowed both day and night; what provision the FCC makes for a station to change its mind later; and whether the commission will waver from its stances on not allowing the use of other platforms like Digital Radio Mondiale and not allowing multicasts of an AM digital signal to be carried on translators.
Radio World NewsBytes (2020-10-16)

United States

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WNJC 1360 AM DX Tests.
So this week I am switching things up a bit. I going to try to give the inland folks over the pond a better chance to and copy our FT-8 test. I will be starting 2 hours early with the FT-8 DX test at 02:00 UTC 10/17 (10:00pm 10/16 EDT). We will be operating our regular 2 tower, 800 watt nighttime pattern to the SSE. At 04:00 UTC the FT-8 test will conclude and we will conduct the DX audio test continuing on our nighttime pattern. At 0500 UTC I will be switching to our daytime pattern at 5kw using 4 towers directional to SSE with the DX audio test concluding at 0600 UTC. From 0600 – 1000 UTC I will be leaving the transmitter in daytime mode but be playing our normal playlist of 80s – 2010 pop, rock, dance, country and whatever else I grew up listening to and feel like playing. Listen for the sweepers between songs of movie & tv show clips along with our voice-over guy. Reception reports are greatly appreciated and can be emailed to kc2dux@duxpond.com or snail mailed with at least a 4×6 SASE to PO Box 84 Dennisville, NJ 08214. I ordered 250 QSL cards and gave away 122 so far! I don’t want to keep that many LOL! Look forward to having another fun weekend with the DXs out there!
Duke Hamann in WNJC 1360 AM DX Tests FB group (2020-10-15)